Time and Legend
by Secret-Ninja1
Summary: Kichi has traveled back in time and meets those who she realizes she cares about as more than just characters in a game. Now she's reliving the time she spent with them in Samurai Warriors, coping with the impact that they made on her life and discovering the importance of bonds she made with those who lived so long ago.
1. Chapter 1

It was nice to finally relax after a week of hard work, since I had been too busy to take some time out for myself. The weekend had arrived and I was invited to a park BBQ by a few friends, though I wasn't really a person who enjoyed spending my relaxation time with others. It was a rare opportunity since I couldn't see my friends very often, so I took up the offer. The weather was nice, the company was familiar, and I had nothing else planned for the weekend, anyway.

I was by myself at the moment, crouched down at a nearby riverbank with my feet dipped in the water. My phone was away from my person and by itself on a picnic table for my friend to look after while I soaked up the warm weather and soft breezes. My eyes were closed and my breathing was steady, a smile playing on my lips as I leaned back and sighed.

The peaceful trance was broken, however, when my friend had called me up to get my plate of food that had been so graciously prepared for me. I yelled back a reply as I quickly stood to my feet and gathered my discarded shoes. In the mist of putting the last one on, my planted foot slipped on a patch of moist grass and I felt my own body being pushed off balance, straight into the cooling water.

It took a moment to gather my bearings and to realize that I had fallen, but I managed to hold my breath and swim up to the surface (the best I could, considering my shoes made it more difficult to swim). The sunlight was glittering under the layer of water that had met my face when I broke the surface and gasped for air. I ran a hand over my nose and mouth to wipe away the water droplets that threatened to be swallowed or unwantedly snorted.

When I opened my eyes again, I tossed a look to my left, then to my right, finding that none of my friends even bothered to come down to see if I was still alive. That's typical of them, I thought, rolling my eyes and smiling regardless. I'd choose food over them too, if that were an option.

As I swam to the edge of the riverbank and hoisted myself up, I was greeted with the sight of a pair of feet dressed in Geta shoes and baggy pants that overlapped ankles. Weird, I didn't recall anyone at the BBQ with that kind of get-up before. I must've missed them. My eyes traveled up despite the sun glaring into my gaze and I followed the thin body until I managed to find the face it belonged to, seeing a tuft of dark hair under a beret-type hat.

A hand was extended out to me, which I took, and I was pulled to my feet. The gust of wind did nothing to chill me under my wet clothes, the warm sun already starting to dry them under the heat. It did seem cooler than before, and there was less noise than I remember, but it was the same riverbank despite the minor differences.

... Right?

"I'd ask how you were feeling, but since you interrupted my nap, I'm going to pretend not to care." A rather clear and pleasant voice stated; one that belonged to the person who helped me up.

Despite the sarcasm, his voice did sound very nice, and I found myself looking straight at him. His skin was a light, creamy tan color (almost white), and his eyes were a mixture of bright brown with specs of yellow that reflected the glow of the sunlight. His dark brown hair was tousled under the end of his headwear, his dark bangs gathered around the outline of his face. One clump of hair was spread over the bridge of his nose, curling slightly towards his left eye.

He looked slightly feminine, especially with his thin frame, but he had noticeable masculine features that stuck out, too. I wouldn't doubt that he'd been mistaken for a girl more than once in his life. He looked young, too, but he was still taller than me by a mere inch, so it was safe to say that he was at least near my age. He looked familiar...

"You probably hit your head, too," he mumbled, his eyes squinted in scrutiny towards me. He looked a bit agitated, but it was probably because he had to pull me out of the water, thinking I was stupid enough to fall in the first place. "Your splashing woke me up and next thing I know, I find you in the river."

I looked around again and saw that he and I were the only one's on the bank, the quiet atmosphere due to the lack of people near us. Was it possible that I had hit my head during my slip, or had I fallen asleep when I was resting near the water? All of my friends were gone, and the only one with me was him.

That was when my eyes snapped back to the man in front of me, my mouth agap as I stared once again. I finally recognized his face long enough to remember where I had saw him before. I had to gather my thoughts fast enough to reply, but I was certain that my mind wasn't deceiving me. "I-I'm sorry, but I sort of fell in when I was fixing my shoes. Um, by any chance, is your name Hanbei?"

His eyes looked more focused now and alert with the question, his lips forming a straight line as he analyzed me once more. "My name is Shingeharu Takenaka, but Hanbei is a nickname that I was given, yes." As he leaned on one foot, his head tilted before he crossed his arms and spoke once more. "Not many people know about that besides those enlisted in Lord Hideyoshi's army. Who might you be?"

I came to notice that my wet hair was starting to cling to the side of my face and neck, and that the ends of the strands were beginning to itch against my skin. I pulled my hair back as I answered him, my eyes cast downward as I rung out the water from my hair. "My name is Kichi. I think I'm lost at the moment, but I'm not completely sure." One moment I was having a BBQ, the next I'm being helped to my feet by one of the most legendary strategists in Japanese history.

"Well, you look lost," Hanbei shifted his feet again and turned around slightly to look behind him. "It's hard to be misguided in this location, but there's a first time for everything. Unless, of course, you decided to swim your way here. Still, it's only a one-way river for roughly a hundred kilometers. It's difficult to get lost even by that means of transportation."

Was it just me, or was Hanbei grumpier than usual? I knew that he was a bit sarcastic and witty, but I thought he would be more laid-back than this. "I think I'm more than just lost." That was an understatement. If I believed myself to have traveled back in time, just how did I do it? What exact year was it, and where was I in Japan?

I knew somewhat about Japan and its Samurai back in the 1500's and 1600's, but that was only due to excess time playing Samurai Warriors. I knew the names of the famous, but I remembered almost nothing about the years that the battles took place in, or where the locations were. One thing was for sure, Hanbei was currently alive, so that meant that it was sometime before 1579. I knew he died of an illness that year, only because I had witnessed it in the game after he rescued Kanbei from being executed by Nobunaga.

"How old are you?" I blurted out before I could stop myself, my attention focused on the strategist in front of me.

He was quiet for a moment before he answered, looking less annoyed now and more composed than before. His tone had less of a bite to it, too. "I'm twenty years old, in case you couldn't tell. People say I look young for my age."

I couldn't help but to ignore his last statement, my mind already calculating the numbers in my head. Twenty, huh? If I remembered correctly, Hanbei was born in 1544, which meant that the year was probably 1564, or sometime close to that.

My thoughts were interrupted by the shout of Hanbei's name coming from the top of the riverbank. My head turned (as well as Hanbei's) to the source of the noise, finding both Hideyoshi and Kanbei standing on top of the dirt road just up the hill of the bank. Hideyoshi was waving frantically to get his attention, which only served him to look silly from where we were standing.

"Nene invited you to have dinner with us this evening! She thought you and Kanbei could use a good meal, so she sent me over to get you!" Hideyoshi smiled and stopped flailing his arms long enough to settle down next to his other strategist. He was wearing his large helmet which shone under the sun, almost blinding me in the process.

Hanbei looked over to me and sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "That's my cue to leave, I guess. I can help you get back home somehow, but I can't accompany you there if you really came a long way." He looked back at his lord and shrugged, making his way up the hill.

I followed his lead and balanced myself up to prevent me from falling or tripping over my own feet before I was standing beside Kanbei. I realized that he was much taller than I imagined and that he nearly towered over me with his height. No wonder the man was intimidating.

"Hey, Hanbei, is this a friend of yours?" Hideyoshi eyed me with interest, his lips breaking into another smile. "I didn't know you were acquainted with foreign women, the least you could do is introduce us."

Under his curious gaze, I remembered that women of this time period didn't wear pants, and they hardly wore anything outside of a kimono or yukata. Besides the handful of women involved in warfare, of course, but that was it. My shirt must have also seemed strange, but I couldn't exactly pick an appropriate outfit at the moment.

"I actually just met her a few minutes ago," Hanbei spoke up, his eyes also on me. "She said she was lost so I'd figure I would give directions for her to take so she could get home."

His lord grinned and laughed, nudging Hanbei with his elbow. "You're always looking out for people, aren't you?" He turned back to me again. "Why don't you come with us and have dinner? I'm sure my wife would love to have you over. It's been awhile since we've had new company!"

Hanbei and Hideyoshi exchanged looks while Kanbei only shook his head and cleared his throat. "I don't believe it's wise to bring along a stranger into the Hideyoshi house." His voice was deep and he was quick to treat me cautiously, which I respected. The man should have known better than to invite strangers over so easily.

Still, it would be nice to see some familiar faces while I was stuck in the past. If I wandered around alone, I wouldn't know who I'd find. I knew that some characters I played as in my games probably weren't even born yet, or not old enough to contribute to war, so it was a strong possibility that Hideyoshi and the others were the only ones that I could meet in this time period.

"She doesn't look like much of a threat to me," Hideyoshi threw out, though I couldn't tell if it was an insult or not. "Nene wouldn't mind having an extra mouth to feed; you know how she is." Hideyoshi clasped a hand on my shoulder and gave me a rough pat. "Besides, I'm sure you're starving by now if you made such a long journey here. You can eat and we'll help you get right back on track once you've gotten your fill of my wife's cooking!"

"Lord Hideyoshi-"

"So it's decided! Come, Nene's waiting for us and I'd rather not get scolded for letting dinner get cold!"


	2. Chapter 2

The walk to the Toyotomi house was a quiet and slightly awkward one; my arms folded as I walked beside Hideyoshi and feeling both Hanbei's and Kanbei's eyes on me in the process. It was weird, knowing that I was with three of the men that I befriended first in my games, yet they knew nothing of me or who I was. I couldn't share the "inside" jokes with them like I could in virtual space, but here they were next to me; living and breathing.

I didn't want to say anything that could give away my situation so soon, but I was at a loss for words to break the silence. The dirt under our shoes and the shifting of armor were the only noises that filled my surroundings. I didn't dare try and turn around to see either strategist possibly stare at me, not wanting anymore attention on me than there already was.

Hideyoshi was humming a tune to himself as we came walking through a busy town. People were walking around and talking to neighbors, selling and trading goods with each other, and kids were playing by the trees with home-made toys. Most of them looked to be of middle-class merchants, but a few were obviously farmers judging from their clothes. As we passed, the men and women bowed to Hideyoshi and smiled, returning to their business after their lord waved or nodded to them in acknowledgement.

I knew that the man clad in yellow was a good lord and just with his decisions and actions. He was highly respected and his personality strangely attracted many people, which made him favorable to those who knew of his peasant background. If only they knew what would happen after his death...

After crossing the road of merchants, long stone steps led the way to the entrance of the castle, the double doors large and decorated with gold and silver. The castle itself looked to be about three or four stories tall, mixed with a few smaller buildings that seemed to be connected by it. A stone wall was built around the entire castle, which was obviously used as protection in cases of an invasion.

I was led inside with a slight push from the lord himself, his hand on my shoulder guiding me as we climbed a set of stairs before finding Hideyoshi's wife sitting behind a low table filled with bowls and plates full of vegetables, fruits, and rice.

"Nene, I brought someone extra with me who needed a good meal. I hope you don't mind too much." Hideyoshi laughed and motioned me to sit by his wife, Kanbei taking a seat beside me with a small grunt. I was settled between two very powerful people and I couldn't do anything to calm my nerves down.

I didn't look at her and I kept my eyes glued to the table, feeling too embarrassed to look at her at the moment. I heard Nene giggle next to me and she handed me a bowl of rice to eat from with a pair of chopsticks. It looked like she had made extra, judging from the amount of rice in the bowl. I really hoped that I wasn't intruding in her well-made dinner.

"I don't mind one bit! You're free to enjoy my cooking all you want, it's what brings family together after all!" Nene's smile was warm and inviting, and it made me feel more comfortable, but I was still nervous about my situation. Hanbei was sitting across from me and he passed me a plate filled with cut up cabbage to put on top of my rice. I thanked him quietly as I took the offering, dropping a few pieces into my bowl before giving the plate to Kanbei.

"By the way," Hideyoshi was chewing as he spoke, "where are the boys? I thought that they would be joining us for dinner?" The lord leaned over more to take another serving of rice into his mouth, catching a slice of carrot in the process.

The woman beside me huffed and shook her head, taking a bite of her food and swallowing before she answered, much unlike her husband. "You-know-who started throwing a tantrum while he was helping with the chores, so I sent him to his room to eat dinner later in the evening." She ate another clump of rice with her cabbage, her lips frowning as she ate.

"What about the other two?" Hideyoshi seemed intrigued by Nene's explanation, as was I. I wasn't aware that they had any children at this time. I thought that Hideyoshi's son came at a later date? And they apparently had three sons already?

"One didn't feel like eating dinner without the other, so he's currently with him in his room. The third one just didn't want to wake up from his nap, so I decided to just feed him once he's awake and hungry."

Her husband nodded in understanding, stuffing his face once more. "Yeah, I figured as much. Mitsunari has been acting up-"

My sudden coughing fit interrupted Hideyoshi from his comment, my hand dropping my chopsticks in favor for covering my mouth so I wouldn't spit in any of the food. I felt my back being patted, probably Nene trying to calm my spasm, and I hastily forced myself to breathe. I had choked on a piece of rice when Hideyoshi mentioned Mitsunari, my mind going blank as I swallowed the food too fast in the moment.

As my coughing subsided, Nene offered me a cup of tea to soothe my throat, which I graciously accepted. The liquid was surprisingly hot compared to the tea that I was used to drinking, but I managed not to burn my tongue and make the situation worse. I emptied the cup quickly and averted my eyes back to my bowl of food, knowing that my episode gained an audience.

Nene only continued to rub my back (an action that reminded me of my own mother's calming habit), ignoring her portion of food for the moment. "I never did get introduced to you properly," the ninja started, casting a look to her husband. "My name is Nene! You have a name, don't you, dear?"

I fidgeted in my seat slightly, lifting my head and meeting Hanbei's eyes for a brief second. It served as a reminder of where I was; that I was in the presence of one of the most historical people in Japan, yet here I was eating dinner with him and his wife and friends.

I took another moment to breathe out and in again, collecting my nerves and returning a small smile to the best of my abilities. "My name is Kichi, and it's wonderful to meet you." I didn't think that bowing would be necessary, especially since there wasn't any room by the table to do so. "I'm sorry for imposing on your dinner, Lord Hideyoshi was kind enough to invite me for the meal without much room for argument."

I heard Kanbei set his chopsticks down over his bowl when I stopped speaking, his presence making me sweat with apprehension, though I wasn't sure why.

Before Nene could reply, Kanbei spoke with a suspicious tone, "Why do you address him as your lord, yet you claim that you are not from this province?" His voice cut through the air like a knife, my body tensing from his question without much self-control.

Were people not supposed to call a Daimyo 'lord' if they weren't from that specific town? "I-I just thought that I would show him the same amount of respect that you give him. I apologize if I offended you, Lord Hideyoshi." Being under the scrutinizing gaze of Kanbei scrambled my nerves once more and I felt like I was in a subtle game of interrogation.

"There's no need to make her uncomfortable, Kanbei," Hanbei peeped up teasingly, "she's doing it just fine by herself. You've probably noticed already, haven't you?" I turned my body to face Hanbei, being subjected to his playful grin. "She's not even from this country, right?" He fiddled with his chopsticks, picking up a clump of rice before placing it in his mouth with a satisfied sigh. "The clothes should have at least tipped you off."

"It crossed my mind once or twice," Kanbei replied in a dead-pan manner, his eyes searching my face for any reaction to their deduction. "Even Lord Hideyoshi was smart enough to pick up on that earlier."

"What's that supposed to-"

"Your clothes do look different," Nene chimed in, interrupting her husband as she grasped the sleeve of my shirt gently. "Not anything that I have seen before. Those people from the west wear different clothes, too." She clicked her tongue, dropping her hands from my shirt and adding, "Yours are too plain to be western styled clothes."

It was then that I knew suddenly getting up from my seat would probably lead to my premature death. Both strategists probably assumed that I was some poorly disguised assassin after Hideyoshi, but the said man and his wife showed no hostility towards me at all. They were far too trusting, even if it was towards me.

I looked over at Kanbei first, then Hanbei, Hideyoshi, and Nene. Each one was looking at me with a different expression, but my mouth was running before I could stop myself. I wanted to explain to them that I wasn't from this time, that I somehow ended up here without any knowledge as to why and how. I wanted to give any information that I could before everyone would start suspecting me.

"I... Uh, don't really know how I got here, honestly. My clothes aren't weird from where I come from, and I wound up here by accident." My own voice was quivering slightly, but I bit hard on my gums to keep me from losing my nerve too quickly. Now wasn't the time to be socially awkward. "I can't make sense of it myself, but I really hope that you all are able to believe me when I say that I'm not here to harm Lord Hideyoshi, or any of you, for that matter."

I paused to look at Hanbei again, "Hanbei found me by a nearby riverbank when I swam out from under the water. Before that happened, however, I was home, not here. I managed to slip and fall into a similar river before I resurfaced and that's when I had met Hanbei." When I looked around again, I saw that I had confused Hideyoshi and Nene looked a bit puzzled by my explanation as well. "I think that I traveled through time in that river and wound up in your time period instead."

"You're... from another time in history?" Hideyoshi asked, his chin resting in the palm of his hand.

"I came from the future, actually. A few hundred years from now." I wasn't sure how much information that I should have been giving them, even though I wasn't entirely informed about the situation myself.

"That's impossible, you can't time travel!" Hanbei's lips broke into a smile and he laughed, "Unless it's some form of dark magic, I doubt it's even possible, especially if someone as ordinary as you triggered it."

"She doesn't look ordinary to me," Hideyoshi commented, which promptly earned him a smack to his leg by his wife. "I don't mean that in a bad way, of course!"

I watched as the two of them began to argue. Well, it was more of a scolding from Nene than anything. She wagged a finger at him and explained to him that he shouldn't treat their guests so rudely, to which Hideyoshi hung his head in shame and apologized.

Hanbei and Kanbei were speaking to each other about my situation. They were whispering and leaning close to each other, so listening into their conversation was harder. I could tell that Hanbei was shaking his head over something that Kanbei suggested, which was probably either throwing me out, or trying to help me get back home.

I sighed to myself, taking hold of my chopsticks once more and finishing off my bowl of rice before they all seemed to come to a conclusion.

"Kichi." Hideyoshi got my attention as he said my name, my head picking up. "After some deliberation, Nene and I have decided that we wouldn't mind helping you on your journey to get back home!"

Nene nodded in agreement, smiling and winking at me before she spoke. "As long as you spend the night here as our guest and get plenty of rest for tomorrow. We plan to do everything we can to figure out how to send you back to your time."

"Kanbei doesn't mind helping either, right?" Hanbei grinned and uncrossed his legs from under the table, leaning back on his arms in a lazy manner. "He was the one who offered to lend a hand, though I for one don't really believe your story." He turned to Kanbei and rolled his eyes in a joking way. "You're too kind for your own good."

"I'm only doing this to confirm that she is no threat to us, nothing more. Don't twist my words around for your own amusement." Kanbei rose from his spot at the table, bowing to Nene and Hideyoshi. "I'm afraid that I must leave now, I have some business to take care of. Thank you for the meal."

Hanbei followed after him, giving us a distracted wave before he called out to Kanbei, disappearing down the stairs with his friend.

After that, I helped Nene and Hideyoshi clean up the table before the woman led me into a spare bedroom. The room was big enough for me, though there was nothing inside but a plain futon in the middle of the floor.

Nene had vanished when I entered the room, but she came back moments later with a large folded kimono in her hands. The fabric looked like silk and she unwrapped it carefully before smiling. "I'll help you change into this for tonight. I'm sure that it will be more comfortable to sleep in than what you're wearing right now."

After getting undressed, she taught me how to properly tie the kimono together and that I was free to loosen it throughout the night if I grew uncomfortable with the sleepwear restricting my movement. She fixed me into my futon and reassured me that she would be in my room bright and early tomorrow to wake me up.

When she left, I laid quietly in my bed and rolled to my side, shifting until I was content enough to close my eyes. Outside of the paper walls, I heard Nene moving around and walking through the halls before a boy's voice came through. His words were muffled, but he was immediately shushed by Nene before he could say anymore.

A second child's voice rang out and the same action was repeated when I realized that Nene must have been taking care of Mitsunari and the other two kids that were with him. I sighed, rubbing my forehead. I had thought that Mitsunari wasn't apart of Hideyoshi and Nene's life until he was much older, yet he was in the Toyotomi household just a room away from my own.

I shook my head to empty my thoughts, forcefully shutting my eyes once more until I began to feel sleep overcome me. Tomorrow would be a new day, and maybe some questions would be cleared up.

Okay, so the year that this takes place in is 1564-65, so Mitsuhide, Nobunaga, and a few others are alive and well. In case you haven't realized yet, the two other children with Mitsunari are Masanori and Kiyomasa. The ages of the characters now are:

Hideyoshi-28 Nene-22 Hanbei-20 Kanbei-18 Mitsunari-4 Masanori-3 Kiyomasa-2

And for those Masamune fans out there, he isn't even born until 1567.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of footsteps running outside of my room. My eyes were hardly cracked open, but they felt heavy and I couldn't resist closing them again to get a little more sleep. The feeling of wood flooring under my back served as a reminder that I was currently in Japan's Sengoku period, a time of war.

I sighed and relaxed under the sheet of my futon, the silk kimono soft against my skin as I let my body lay still and comfortable. If I slept in too late, I knew that Nene would come in and wake me like she promised last night. She was probably busy making breakfast, too.

That's when I heard the door to my room slide open, but I was too lazy to open my eyes again, so I kept my mouth shut and waited for Nene to call my name. Her footsteps were lighter than I expected them to be, even for a ninja, but she was coming closer and I really didn't want to leave the comfort of my futon.

Suddenly, a small and warm hand was placed on my cheek, the action startling me and causing my eyes to snap open. I sat up, turning to my left and finding the source of the hand. A small child stood beside me, a boy that looked to be about three years old, that had a small head of black hair and a smile.

"Good morning, lady." His voice was small and his words were mumbled, but I could understand him enough to smile back at his greeting. His skin was a light tan and he seemed to be a little big for his age. He had a thin face with brown eyes that shined with curiosity, and his hands were folded in front of him, as if he were preventing himself from touching me again. He was beyond adorable in my opinion, his small green yukata only adding to his charm.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nene rush into my room with an exasperated look on her face. "Masanori, I told you not to wander off like that." She bent down to pick him up, resting him against her chest as he curled into her neck. "I'm sorry if he woke you up. He left my sight for a second before he just up and disappeared. He's a handful, if I do say so myself." She smiled as he yawned, his eyes searching around the room before they settled on me again.

I couldn't help but to smile wider as I watched Masanori stare at me, his mouth open as little puffs of air left his lips. I didn't know why Masanori and Mitsunari were the (supposedly) adopted sons of Nene and Hideyoshi, and I could only guess that the third boy was Kiyomasa. Seeing Masanori as a child changed a bit of my perspective on the man that I had spoken to in my games. Knowing that he wasn't always a hot-headed idiot with brute strength gave me a dose of reality, and that even those three fools had a childhood. How that tidbit of history changed, however, I may have to figure out later.

"I have breakfast ready for you, if you're hungry," Nene's voice brought me back from my thoughts, "Hideyoshi left for some business a few hours before, so he won't be joining us." She turned over to smile at Masanori, reaching to fix part of his messy hair as she balanced him in her arm. "I'm sure you're hungry, too."

I stood up from my spot in the futon, adjusting my kimono and tightening the strap around my waist before following Nene out of my room. The wooden floor was cool against my bare feet, but the hallways were warm and the smell of food attracted my attention. We turned the corner and I saw two young boys already sitting down beside each other at the table, one with red hair, another with white hair.

I sat down next to Nene as she set Masanori to the floor, the toddler making the decision himself to waddle over towards Mitsunari before planting his bottom to the ground. The three of them were sitting in a row across from us, Masanori's tiny hands placed on the table behind his own bowl of food, each of them waiting patiently for Nene and I.

I was surprised to find that they were so well mannered for their age; when I was young, I didn't even know how to sit still. The white haired son (Kiyomasa? Oh goodness, he was adorable!) had his eyes trained on Nene with a smile, his blue yukata loose around his shoulders. His baby teeth poked out between his lips and he was the image of a perfect angel.

Which was the opposite of Mitsunari, physically, at least. The red haired boy had a pout on his face, which would have made him seem cute, if his eyes weren't narrowed so much. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, his eyes looking down at his bowl of rice as he waited. His red yukata fit him perfectly, but his attitude suggested that he had woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Nene gave the go-ahead to eat, my hands reaching for the chopsticks as I began to munch on my breakfast. It was odd having rice with fish and seaweed as a morning meal, especially since it was rare for me to eat it at all, but the change wasn't bad. Nene knew how to cook, that much was true, so it was obvious why Hideyoshi couldn't get enough of her home-made food.

I lifted my head slightly to look at Mitsunari, who still had a small frown as he swallowed a piece of fish. We met eyes for a moment, the boy going stiff before he averted his eyes with red-tinged ears. He looked embarrassed, probably because he didn't like being stared at while he ate. I felt like I was intruding his space, but I couldn't help finding him so... different looking from the Mitsunari that I met via game console.

I internally sighed to myself, going back to my breakfast as I finished off my bowls of food. Once everyone was finished, the four of us thanked Nene for the meal and the boys stood from their seats. Before they could leave, however, Nene ushered them back so she could introduce me to them.

"Boys, this is our guest, Kichi. Be sure to show her respect and use your manners around her, do you understand?" She placed a hand on Mitsunari's shoulder, as if making sure he followed what she said. "Kichi, I want you to officially meet our sons. This one here is Kiyomasa," she combed her fingers in his hair, parting it slightly so the strands wouldn't cover his eyes, "the one in the middle is Masanori, and this one is Mitsunari. He's the oldest, so he has a lot of responsibilities being the older brother."

Before I could reply or give a greeting, Mitsunari was already bowing to me, as was Masanori. Kiyomasa tried, but he only managed to do a shallow bow without falling over. As they straightened back up, they wasted no time in running off to their room to continue playing like they were doing before breakfast.

I really wanted to keep quiet about what was bothering me, but I waited until the three children were out of the room before I presented the question. "Please excuse me if this seems to be a bit rude, but, are they really your sons?"

Nene paused when she picked up an empty bowl from the table, his hand frozen as she turned to look at me with an expression of curiosity.

"I mean, it's just that they don't look anything like you or Lord Hideyoshi, so I was just wondering..." I rubbed the side of my arm with the opposite hand, my eyes looking down at my feet instead of at the person I was addressing.

There was a silence before a sigh and the clacking of a bowl dropping onto the table was heard. Nene invited me to sit back down with her, her hand motioning the spot in front for me to sit. I took the offer, folding my legs under me with my hands in my lap.

She looked as though she were suffering from an inner turmoil from her furrowed brows, but her lips opened and prevented me from saying anything more. "... Hideyoshi and I have been together for a few years, which hasn't been very long. Of course, being a Daimyo requires you to have a successor after you have passed from this world, so we have been trying for a son to fulfill that duty should the time come."

She carefully reached to adjust her kimono, folding the fabric closer to her person as if she were unconsciously trying to hide from the topic at hand. Her usual smiling lips were painted neutral, her eyes seeming distant instead of bright like they always were. "Not only have I failed at conceiving a son, but even a daughter has become impossible. I had come to terms with the fact that we might never have children of our own."

I could hear the footsteps of her three sons running through the hallways; a cluster of laughter ringing out as they continued to chase each other around the castle. Nene didn't seemed phased by the noise in the least. On the contrary, she actually smiled and looked at me with, what I could only classify as, appreciation.

"Then, one day, Hideyoshi had come back from a visit to a neighboring town with this little boy clinging to his leg," Nene covered her mouth slightly as she laughed, recalling the event with amusement, "Mitsunari seemed reluctant to be near Hideyoshi and I at first, but he warmed up to us eventually. My husband had found him trying to take food from him during his travel, found out that he was a war orphan, and wanted nothing more than to take him home with us to raise him. I couldn't say no to that."

She went on to explain about Masanori and Kiyomasa, though they were both relatives of Hideyoshi (distant cousins) and thought it would have been better for them to be with him and his wife instead. Nene was happy, ecstatic even, to have finally had a family to nurture and care for. A family that she and her husband had always wanted. They were more than just successors, they were their children.

"It will be hard, of course, to raise three growing boys at once, but I have no doubt in my mind that they will grow up to be fine young men. They'll make Hideyoshi proud, I'm certain of it." She looked over to her boys from our spot at the table when they passed by us and ran the other way, a look of pure fondness adorning her face.

Her words struck a cord in my heart. Yes, they would grow up to be loving sons, and they would grow up to be very strong and intelligent men. She would be beyond proud of them, but things would only change for the worse once the fall of the Toyotomi clan is at hand.

She spared me one last smile before she got up and began to clean off the table. I hurried to help her, stacking the bowls together and handing them to her carefully. I wiped away the mess that I managed to make earlier and we finished just as Hideyoshi came back from his errand.

Finally got around to updating! Sorry for being late, [Insert lame excuse]. As some of you may or may not know, Mitsunari was never a part of the Toyotomi house until the time he was around 14. He was originally a part of the Azai family (due to his father) before they were defeated. However, in this story, I changed history a bit and made it to where he was brought into the Toyotomi clan at a young age and through adoption. Masanori is actually the (really) young cousin of Hideyoshi (Hideyoshi being 28 and Masanori being 3, wow). Kiyomasa is something like Hideyoshi's second cousin, being the son of Hideyoshi's other cousin, or something like that.

And it has come to my attention that Kichi's age was not specifically mentioned last time (whoops!). She is 21, but her age will progress in the story, as well as others' ages.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you sure that this will work?" Hanbei had his hands at his hips, his lips formed into a thin line as he stood from the top of the riverbank.

Kanbei, Hideyoshi, and Nene were beside him, looking either doubtful or curious to see how my idea would turn out. I had come up with the idea in the early afternoon, revealing my plan to both Nene and Hideyoshi before we set off towards the bank. It was only a coincidence that we had run into the two strategists on our way there.

"I'm positive," I answered, taking off my shoes and placing them next to me as I sat down. I still had my kimono on, my fingers gripping the lush grass around me as I looked up at the sky. "This is what happened last time, so why shouldn't it work?" I laid my body down and relaxed, waiting for Hanbei's cue.

There was a sigh before he said, "Kichi, get your food!"

I smiled and stood up, reaching for my shoes and pulling one on, making sure to put the other on with difficulty. I purposely slipped in the patch of grass, falling backwards dramatically and submerging myself in the cooling water. I refused to open my eyes as I went down, flailing my arms until I could feel the breakthrough between the water and the air. I snapped my eyes open, coughing and swimming towards the riverbank.

I pulled myself up and wiped my hair from my eyes, turning my head and seeing the same group of four standing above me with unreadable expressions. "What?" I looked back at the river, wondering why I wasn't back in my time yet. "I did it exactly like before, I swear!" I got to my feet and adjusted my kimono, which was now drooping from the added weight from the water, and I tied it tighter around my waist. "I'm going to try again."

Hanbei only rolled his eyes and waited by his spot on the bank once more. "If it didn't work the first time, what makes you think it will happen again?" He smiled and put his hands behind his head. "Failed attempts aren't helping your story seem any more believable."

I made a rude gesture towards Hanbei before I turned back to my task at hand and took off my shoes once more. We went through the steps like before and I held my breath, both figuratively and literally. Two more attempts, and I was still stuck in 1564.

"One more-" I was interrupted when Hanbei pushed me into the river and I wasted no time in climbing back to the surface. "What the hell?" I slid my legs up and hunched over, feeling the water drip from my nose.

"Sorry," came his sarcastic answer, "I just wanted to see if it would work." He moved back from the edge so I had room to stand, my body shivering from the breeze that came by.

Hideyoshi hummed, tapping his fingers on his hip. "Maybe we should take a break for today. It doesn't seem like we're making any progress with this and I'm just about as stumped as you are." His other hand went to his thin mustache, running his thumb along the line of hair in a soothing manner.

I hated to admit it, but Hideyoshi was right. I wasn't sure how I could make it back home when tracing my steps didn't work and the outdoors was beginning to feel a little chilly from the water. All I really had in mind at the moment was a warm bath and a good meal.

Nene had walked over to my side, helping me adjust my kimono and taking my hand as she pulled me up the bank to join the rest of the group. It was back to square one in my plan and I couldn't think of another way I could get back to my time. My stomach churned a bit at the thought of never returning home and I couldn't look at Nene when she spoke to me.

"There's always tomorrow!" She added cheerfully, "I'm sure we could find some way that could help you return to the future, we just have to keep looking. Now," she paused and stopped in front of me, slapping her hands gently on my cheeks before she lifted my head up to meet her eyes. "don't you worry about a thing, Kichi." Her smile was soft and her eyes flickered with hope that helped me put a smile on my own face.

She nodded once she saw my change in demeanor, prompting me forward as I walked beside Kanbei and towards the castle again. The trip back was similar to the first time I arrived, with people bowing and showing their respect towards Hideyoshi and Nene before going back to their business as usual.

Hideyoshi was the first to break the silence when we came into the front hall of the Toyotomi household, the man walking ahead and taking off his shoes. He stretched his arms and sighed, turning to face me after his exhale. "What's it like in the future?" His question made everyone turn their heads at once, the gesture almost simultaneous.

It was expected, I would admit, and I wasn't sure how to go about answering it in case I gave important information away that would destroy some alternate timeline. I didn't really know much about time travel, to be honest. "Uh, it's become more advanced, I guess. Humans are able to fly around the world and we don't need candles to see in the dark anymore."

The Daimyo's interest only seemed to grow stronger at my vague reply, his eyes wide. However, before he got out another question, Nene had grabbed my hand and led me around the corner through a long corridor. She threw out an apology to her husband and other two guests and claimed that I was in need of a washing before she would prepare dinner later that evening.

"I'm so sorry," she said with a smile, sliding the paper door closed and guiding me outside towards a large pool of water. "I didn't want my husband asking too many questions that would bother you, so I acted without your permission."

"No, it's fine. You were only looking out for me, so you shouldn't apologize about it. It would probably be out of character for Lord Hideyoshi to keep those questions to himself, anyway."

Nene had paused in her motions as she looked at me before she shook her head and ushered me towards the water. "I'll bring out a towel for you after you're finished bathing. Just fold your clothes over there and knock on the wall by the door to let me know you're done." She didn't give me time to thank her before she turned around and walked out, shutting the door behind her and leaving me alone to undress.

I did what she said and I slipped into the warm water, pleased to find that it wasn't too hot for me. It seemed as though Nene had read my mind and I felt like I really was due for a bath. As relaxing as the water was, I still found myself tense at the thought of being stuck in this time forever. I ran a hand over my face and rubbed my temples, sighing before sinking deeper into the water.

I didn't know what was going to happen to me or if anyone knew I was here. What about my job and family? I didn't want to think about how worried my parents were that I had disappeared and probably weren't going to find me again. The reality of my situation suddenly hit and a felt tears itch at my eyes before I leaned my head back and cried. I was genuinely scared for the first time since coming here and I wasn't sure how I was going to deal with living like this for who knows how long.

I wiped my face with the back of my hand and drew my legs into my chest, folding my arms on top of my knees and hiding my head in them. I sniffled a few times and squeezed my eyes shut so the tears would stop, and after some time I was calm enough to settle down and relax once more.

"About time you stopped."

I jumped from my spot in the water and moved back as quickly as I could at the voice, nearly jumping out of the water entirely before my eyes found Hanbei standing a few feet away on the ground. His figure was distorted from the misty air around the bath, but his voice and clothes were enough to identify him at a distance.

I submerged my body into the water again until only my head was visible, my arms moving to cover my chest in haste. "How did you get in here?"

Hanbei laughed and I saw him point his thumb behind him and at the stone wall surrounding the bath area. "I climbed over. Kanbei's waiting outside for me to come back, so he won't be joining us." The man only rolled his eyes when I swam back a bit more from his view and kept myself covered. "I didn't see anything so don't worry; the steam is too thick in here for peeping. I'm not a pervert like a few other people I know."

I could only imagine that he was referencing Hideyoshi with his comment, but it still didn't make me remove my arms from my chest. I remained in the warmth of the water and a good ten feet away so the steam would do its work and keep me hidden. "And the reason why you're here is...?"

Hanbei walked a few steps towards the edge of the bath before crossing his legs and taking a seat next to my folded kimono. "I overheard your conversation with Lady Nene through the door and Kanbei and I decided to talk to you. Well, I decided and Kanbei told me not to go, but details don't matter." He rolled up the sleeves on his arms and complained about the heat before he continued with his explanation. "You mentioned to Nene about Lord Hideyoshi's behavior before and I found it strange that you spoke about him like you knew him well."

I sent him a glare over his accusation before I realized that he was telling the truth. It was not wonder Nene had given me that weird look before she had left. I rushed to explain myself but Hanbei already seemed a step ahead of me.

"You don't need to tell me anything, okay? I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for it, but I'm not in the mood for long stories at the moment." I saw him hold his hand up to keep me from speaking before he went on. "I'm actually starting to believe that you're telling the truth and yesterday Kanbei and I took the liberty of writing a letter to a friend of ours in Chugoku. If anyone has knowledge about your situation, it's him."

I watched Hanbei stand up from his spot and clean off his pants, the strategist brushing some of his hair from his forehead that was starting to stick from the humidity. "I'm going to take off before Kanbei starts worrying." He turned on his heel and climbed over the stone wall before he disappeared from my sight.

After I deemed it safe enough, I stood up and got out of the bath to knock on the wall to alert Nene that I was finished. She came out with a fresh towel in hand; the fabric looked hand woven and soft to the touch. She didn't look like she knew of Hanbei's visit, much to my relief, and I dried myself off and wrapped the kimono around myself before I left with Nene.

I was led to the dining room again and the table was already set with dishes of food and bowls at each seat. The three boys were waiting patiently for us to sit down like before, Kiyomasa looking drowsy with the yawn that slipped from his mouth. Hideyoshi was next to Mitsunari with his hands clasped together on the table, seeming just a patient as his sons were for dinner.

The scene did calm my nerves after I joined them, saying my thanks before I started to eat my fill of dinner. While I was uncertain if Hanbei's friend would have the answer that could help me get back home, seeing familiar faces and eating with them made me realize that, while I was lost from my real family, being with Hideyoshi and Nene were probably the closest things to family that I had in this world.


End file.
